Wikis

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Presenter: Paul Irvine


What is a wiki?

A wiki is a website which enables documents to be written collaboratively in a simple mark-up language using a web browser. The defining characteristic of wiki technology is the ease with which pages can be created and updated. Most wikis are open to the general public for them to make amendments or contributions.
From: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wiki

The Hawaiian word for "quick" is "wiki," so a wiki is a quick way for people to collaborate via the WWW. Wiki pages can contain explanations, data, documents, photos, videos, calendars, and mini apps called widgets.

"Wikis in Plain English" from TeacherTube

http://teachertube.com/viewVideo.php?video_id=2219&title=Wikis_in_Plain_English

Using Wikis in Education

Technology & Learning

"Eight Ways to Use School Wikis"
http://www.techlearning.com/article/22064

Wiki Walk-Through from TeachersFirst

Use this link to learn about wiki basics, how to use wikis with your classes, how students benefit, planning steps, "twiki" issues, some wiki how-to's, and getting students and parents started.
http://www.teachersfirst.com/content/wiki/
  1. Click the link in, "I know the basics. Take me to some ideas for how to use a wiki in my teaching."
  2. In the menu box on the left, roll over the topic to read some ideas of how wikis can be used.
  3. Don't see your content area? Click the Teacher'sFirst_Right.png to see even more ideas.
  4. Select the Discussion tab at the top of this page.
  5. Under the Subject heading, click the only subject listing, read the message, scroll to the bottom of the page, and post your idea.

Wiki Etiquette for Students

When using wikis with students, it's important that they understand the boundaries, what is acceptable "wiki behavior" and what is not. Ms. Edwards, a teacher in Washington State, uses a wiki for her class, and on her wiki, she included a "Wiki Etiquette for Students." http://whatelse.pbworks.com/Wiki-Etiquette-For-Students

KUSD Wiki Guidelines

Be sure to follow the district's guidelines when using a wiki for school.
KUSD Wiki Guidelines.pdf

Here are the guidlelines in a nutshell.
  1. The wiki is for professional purposes only.
  2. The wiki cannot be accessible to the general public. In Wikispaces, this means a private wiki.
  3. Access must be password protected.
  4. External links are subject to district filtering.
  5. User-created content is preferred. Content from other sources must adhere to copyright regulations (http://www.kusd.edu/departments/instructional_technology/copyright_resources.html) and be cited properly.
  6. The wiki name identifies the district, the school, and the teacher(s) (e.g., KUSDLinocolnSmith).
  7. Student usernames do not contain their ID or their name in full.
  8. No personal student information in published on the wiki.
  9. Student work can be identified by first name and possibly the last name initial but no full last names.
  10. Student photos, videos, audio recordings, etc., do not identify individual students.
  11. Published email addresses are restricted to staff and generic classroom addresses (i.e., no published student email addresses).

Creating a Wiki

Let's go through this How-To Step Guide to learn what you can do on a wiki page.